


Lovebug

by Cyan (vehicroids)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Almost Kiss, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, Keith being useless and gay, M/M, Pining Keith (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2019-03-20 21:31:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13726374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vehicroids/pseuds/Cyan
Summary: During a mission with Hunk, Keith had been bitten by quite the nuisance - a lovebug. He must try to find a way to deal with his newfound feelings for Hunk, but that came with its challenges.





	Lovebug

**Author's Note:**

> Oops. I wrote more pointless fluff instead of writing what I'm supposed to be writing. I'm not that sorry.
> 
> Don't forget to follow me on [Tumblr](https://vehicroids.tumblr.com)!

It was unbearably hot, and while Keith didn’t usually mind dry heat, he hated humid heat. He carried his helmet on his hip, wiping dirt and sweat from his face, and trying to swat away bugs. Not that it did anything, as the bugs just kept coming. Of all the planets to be put on, it had to be a jungle-like planet. At least Keith was here with Hunk, and not Lance, who would have spent the whole time complaining about the heat.

As they had finished their mission, Hunk was picking some of the fruit around. Keith was happy to wait, though he wondered how Hunk knew what was and was not edible. He picked one of the fruits and examined it, pulling faces at it. He didn’t know what he was trying to achieve by staring at fruit, but whatever. Hunk spotted him, and held out his hand.

“Hey, Keith, wait! That’s poisonous, don’t eat that!” Hunk said.

Keith gave it another look and dropped it, taking a step back and wiping his hand on his armour. “How can you tell?”

“I read up a lot about alien food. Anything I’m not sure about, I can always look it up. But that? That, I know gives you real bad stomach ache. Unless I’m allergic to it,” Hunk shrugged.

Huh. Keith didn’t really expect that answer. He supposed it was only normal that Hunk would seek out other foods; there was only so long someone could handle the green gloop of the castle. Keith vaguely remembered Hunk mentioning before that he missed real food, like they had on Earth, a sentiment Keith shared. He left Hunk to it, leaving Keith to swat away more bugs. God, he hated bugs.

The paladin suits didn’t offer enough ventilation, forcing Keith to leave his helmet off. This meant getting bitten by endless bugs, no matter how much he swatted and how much he swore. If Pidge could make numerous alterations to the lions, perhaps she could alter the suits to give off a bug spray. He had lost count of the amount of bites he had sustained, and hopefully they weren’t poisonous. Well, if they were, at least he would never have to endure bug bites ever again.

Come on Hunk, hurry up. Keith wanted to go back to the castle and shower, or at least put something cool on himself. He looked over at Hunk, who had just picked the last of his fruit, and he smiled so warmly at Keith. He hadn’t noticed just how nice a smile his teammate had, and he found himself staring dumbly at Hunk, heat rising to his cheeks. Hunk tilted his head.

“You okay, buddy?” he asked.

Keith blinked, before nodding. “Y-yeah,” he said, swallowing hard. “Let’s head back.”

He couldn’t look at Hunk, instead storming off ahead of him. What was that about? Even just thinking about him made Keith’s stomach knot, and he felt a blush form on his face. Alright, he needed to get ahold of himself. He clearly hadn’t eaten enough, or drank enough, and he was likely just feeling woozy after a long mission without sustenance.

Keith considered taking one of the fruits from Hunk, but he didn’t know what was and was not safe to eat. Besides, if he couldn’t even think about Hunk, there was no way he could  _ touch _ Hunk. Keith kept his eyes straight ahead, and suddenly remembered they had only taken one lion here. And of course, they had to take Yellow, meaning Keith would have nothing to focus on. Nothing but  _ Hunk _ . He should have pushed for them to take Red, and now he was cursing past Keith for a mistake he didn’t even know he had made.

They got in the lion, and Keith stood behind the pilot’s chair, his back leaning against the back of it. Thankfully, Hunk was a safe pilot, meaning it was perfectly safe to just stand around. But he did wish he was sitting down, preferably on Hunk’s lap. Wait, no, absolutely not. He shook his head, hoping the thought would come out of his skull, but it didn’t. Instead, he started to imagine it.

He wondered how warm Hunk was, and how nice it would have been to lean his head on his chest. His arms seemed strong, strong enough to give Keith the best hugs. He wanted to listen to the soft beat of his heart, fall asleep against him. Keith wanted to just bury his face in the crook of Hunk’s neck and fall asleep there, while they flew back to the ship.

Oh God. This was a crush, wasn’t it?

It came out of nowhere. Keith had never considered anyone romantically, but now he was there, fantasising about sitting on his ex-engineer’s lap. He needed to slap himself, wake himself up, but all of his thoughts were consumed by Hunk. The knots in his stomach tightened, and Keith had to stare at the wall behind the pilot’s chair. It was rude to not look at Hunk, but Keith simply couldn’t look at him.

Thankfully, they were soon back at the castle. Keith could ignore all of this, get some food and some water, and take it easy. He took a shower, glad to get rid of the dirt and sweat and grime, before looking at himself in the mirror. Keith’s face fell in horror, looking at all the little bumps along his body. Surely, bugs shouldn’t have gotten through his paladin armour, but they had, leaving pink little bites all over his body. Good God. He grabbed his helmet and turned on comms, set just to Allura.

“Hey, princess?” he mumbled. “Can you come to my room? You might know more about bug bites than I do.”

“I… of course. Give me a moment, Keith.”

The confusion was evident in her voice, but Keith didn’t really care. For all he knew, he could have been bitten by something serious. He could have been poisoned, and he could have died. Okay, Keith, deep breaths. He wasn’t going to die, he was  _ fine. _ Hearing Allura at his door, he quickly pulled his underwear and boxers on, leaving his shirt off, and opened the door for her.

She smiled warmly, but it soon faltered as she took a look at him. A curious expression crossed her face as she walked over to him, examining the bites on his chest. Allura hummed, taking a good look at him at close range, before moving back. She held his face, looking into his eyes, and it took everything in Keith not to move back suddenly. He needed to remember she just wanted to help, and he did ask for her help.

“Have you been experiencing strange feelings? Such as a sudden attraction to someone that you didn’t previously have feelings for?” Allura asked.

Keith looked away. “Yeah.” He felt like he had been caught, and he wanted the ground to swallow him whole.

“I’m not a doctor, but... this must be the bite of a love bug. Or, rather,  _ bites _ . They’re perfectly harmless. The effects of their venom should last around a week. But from the amount of bites, you may feel it for longer.” Allura released his face. “I’m afraid all I can tell you is to try and keep it together.”

“Oh.” Nope. No way. “Thanks, Allura.”

Thanks for  _ nothing _ . It gave Keith a reason for his feelings, but no way to stop it beyond riding it out. Allura excused herself, and Keith was left alone to his thoughts. Great, just great. Keith didn’t even have anyone to talk to about this, he didn’t even want to tell Shiro what was going on. Even if he was interested in pursuing  _ this _ , it wasn’t like Hunk would want him. Keith wasn’t one for self deprecating, but at the same time, Hunk would be better suited to someone who was nicer. Ugh, he was likely just cranky. Perhaps he could just sleep this off. He didn’t like napping, but this time, he needed a nap.

Keith flopped down onto his bed, closing his eyes, and prayed for sleep to take him. He didn’t know how anyone could nap, but he was going to try. He found himself tossing and turning, fighting with himself over the benefits of having the blanket on or off. He pulled the pillow over his face, groaning, then threw it across the room and laid down once again. He stayed at still as possible, and eventually, he fell asleep.

When Keith woke up, he expected to feel a thousand times better. If anything, he only felt worse, groggy and heavy. Fuck this. He buried his face in the mattress, groaning into it. It would go away in a week, he told himself, but he couldn’t avoid Hunk for a week. Besides, since when did Keith run from his problems? He needed to face this head-on, get rid of these feelings. If he spent time with Hunk, he would find things he disliked, and that would crush this… well, this crush.

It wasn’t hard to find Hunk, at least; wherever Lance was, Hunk was usually with him. Keith took a deep breath before entering the rec room, where Hunk and Lance were chatting about something or another. Oh God, how does one be social? He hovered awkwardly by the door, trying to quell his nerves over Hunk, and generally trying not to be so uncomfortable interacting with his fellow paladins. Hunk looked over, and the knot in Keith’s stomach tightened.

“Hey Keith!” he greeted, waving him over. “Come sit with us.”

Oh no. Keith tried so hard to act normal - he didn’t know what Allura had told Hunk, if she said anything - and he especially didn’t want someone uninvolved in the situation to know. He folded his hands in his lap, with Hunk sitting in between Keith and Lance. He felt really out of place with those two, but he stayed quiet, hoping at least Lance would go. If both of them left, he could lament about his useless feelings alone. Either way, it was a victory in Keith’s eyes.

He didn’t know what his plan was anymore. Spend time with Hunk, try to dislike him, but how could he? The guy was a living ray of sunshine, always bright, and even his laugh was beautiful. He watched Hunk from the corner of his eye, a soft, dumb smile on his face. Ugh, Hunk was perfect, it was annoying. Keith wished he could just cut out his feelings somehow.

Keith was too engrossed in his thoughts to pay attention to the conversation. He heard Hunk laugh, and then, an arm wrapped around him, pulling him close and squeezing him. Keith choked, his lungs compressed into a tiny ball, but his heart was going a thousand miles a minute. Hunk had him close, and he was so warm, and nice, and-- Keith was utterly useless when faced with a handsome guy.

“You alright, man? You’re not really talking. I know you’re not really talkative, but you’re normally more talkative than this,” Hunk frowned.

Hunk actually noticed that? Keith didn’t realise people paid that much attention to him. This really wasn’t helping the feeling in his gut, or the beating of his heart. He wanted to lean more into Hunk, make himself comfortable, but he always wanted to shove him away. Instead, Keith was left sitting there, rigid. Hopefully, Lance hadn’t noticed that Keith was being--

He looked over, and Lance was gone. When did he go? How long had Keith been accidentally ignoring Hunk for? And he was still ignoring Hunk, though not on purpose. Keith needed to relax a little, but it was hard. He squirmed, a little uncomfortable, and Hunk let him go. Keith was disappointed, but he said nothing.

“I’m okay,” Keith said. “Do you wanna do something? Or-- something.”

The words spilled from his mouth before he could think about it, and Keith was screaming internally. He didn’t know why he said that. His brain had completely betrayed him, and he wished he could take the words back. Hunk, however, didn’t react in horror, like Keith thought he would. He looked at him in confusion, before bursting into a huge smile.

“Yeah! What did you have in mind?”

\--

_ It wasn’t a date _ , Keith reminded himself as he looked at himself in the mirror. He bit his lip, debating between making an effort and not. It wasn’t like he had much to use to look nicer, but still. He shrugged his shoulders and brushed his hair, figuring it couldn’t hurt to try as much as he could. It wasn’t as if he had any expectations for this not date, he thought as he smoothed down his clothes.

All they were doing was watching a movie in Keith’s room - oh God, it did sound like a date, didn’t it? No, it absolutely did not, he was attempting to delude himself. He rolled his eyes and shrugged his jacket back on, fiddling with the controls of his room. He had never attempted to use the television in here, so he hoped it worked. After mild fiddling, he figured out how to turn the television on, much to his relief.

Keith set about making the room look presentable - it was fine, he was just nervous - as he waited for Hunk to come over. He started pacing, looking for something to do, anything, to take his mind off this. It would be fine, they would have a great time, and it would be good. It was okay. Keith was okay. He sat down on the bed, just in time for Hunk to knock on his door and worry Keith again. For fuck’s sake.

The door opened, and Hunk came in, holding a bowl full of snacks. “Hey, man. I thought, movie night, we need snacks, so I made some.”

Oh man, home made snacks,  _ yes please. _ “Thanks. Put them wherever you want.”

Keith sat down on his bed, and Hunk sat next to him, putting the bowl between them. After more minor fiddling, Keith managed to put something on the television. The good news was, it did appear to be a movie of some kind. The bad news, of course, was that it was not in English, and it didn’t appear to have subtitles, or a translation of any kind.

“Oh God,” Keith mumbled, trying to fiddle further to get some kind of translation, or something in a language they understood.

Hunk laughed softly. “It’s okay. We can just leave it running in the background or something.”

No! Keith needed the television, as it would give him something to focus on that wasn’t the cute boy on his bed. In his room. Alone. Keith swallowed hard, his throat dry. Okay, he could work with this. If he just kept staring at the television, he could eventually figure out what was going on. It was fine, it would work out.

Except he couldn’t figure out what was going on at all. He didn’t speak whatever language this was meant to be in - Altean? Galran? Like Keith could understand either - and Hunk seemed just as lost. This was a disaster, and it wasn’t as if Keith could even pretend to be interesting. He put his hand in the bowl to grab a snack, but his fingers brushed against the back of Hunk’s hand and he jumped, almost knocking the bowl to the floor.

Keith needed to get a grip. Getting crushes was fine back at the Galaxy Garrison, but in war? Fuck, that was dangerous. His face was on fire, and he bit his lips together, trying to calm his heart rate just a little. How could one boy turn him into such a mess? He dove back into the bowl and grabbed a snack, and God, it was good. Good enough to hold his attention away from anything else for a moment, at least.

The snacks eventually emptied out, and the movie - whatever it was - was still going. Keith put the bowl on the floor, under the guise of it being safer in case it fell. In reality, he hoped, just a little bit, that Hunk would initiate some sort of contact. Even though Keith knew it was unlikely, he just wanted to hope that Hunk would like him back. It was selfish, especially as these feelings were only temporary. Or at least he hoped it was.

Keith scooted a little closer to Hunk, as a way to quell the nagging voice in his mind. He still wanted to lean on him, make himself comfortable while Hunk wrapped an arm around him. No, dammit, Keith shouldn’t be so useless and soft. But there he was, being  _ exactly _ what he said he didn’t want to be. He fiddled with the tops of his trousers, chewing the inside of his cheek.

It wasn’t hard being forward and honest about a lot of things. If Keith didn’t agree with something, he would say it. When it came to feelings, however, he sealed them away tightly, and this was no different. He was aware this wasn’t healthy, but none of his coping mechanisms were particularly healthy, either.

He kept his hands on the mattress, tangling his fingers in the sheets. Maybe if he just kissed Hunk, the venom would have no hold on him. On the other hand, it may have worsened the feelings. He didn’t know what to do, other than ride it out. Hunk wasn’t even paying attention to him, which was good, but also, he wanted Hunk to pay attention to him more than anything. Keith just wanted to curl up and die, along with his stupid feelings.

It was likely Hunk only liked girls. He liked Shay, but showed no interest in guys. Great, just great. Of course Keith would have feelings for a straight guy. This was a good thing, he told himself; getting feelings in war was a terrible idea, anyway, as he had to constantly remind himself. That wasn’t going to stop him, though, apparently. He felt something brush against his fingers, and soon realised it was Hunk’s hand.

Oh God, there his heart went again. Keith was tempted to pull his hand back, mumble an apology, but he looked up at Hunk and saw his face was flushed. He was staring hard at the television, though there was something telling him that Hunk wasn’t really paying attention to the movie, and Keith swore Hunk was no longer breathing.  _ Holy shit _ . He put a tentative hand on Hunk’s, their fingers lacing together. Heat rose to Keith’s face once again, staring at their joined hands. Keith didn’t do nervous, didn’t do butterflies, but he swore he was going to die.

Keith leaned against him, just a little, testing his luck. His breathing was a little shaky, and now all he could think about was kissing Hunk. Fuck, this wasn’t supposed to happen. The more he gave in to his thoughts, the more he wanted. Keith had successfully opened a floodgate he could not close, and it didn’t seem that Hunk wanted that gate closed, either. Maybe he was imagining it, maybe he was just being hopeful. Let a guy dream, for once.

Hunk glanced down at him, his breath catching audibly in his throat, before looking back at the television. Somehow, his face was an even brighter red. Damn, he was cute. Keith reached his free hand up to Hunk’s face, turning his head to face him. Keith’s brain was yelling, and he wasn’t sure if it was in nerves or excitement. His breathing had stopped, blood rushing to his face, a colour rivalling Hunk’s cheeks. They were locked in a silent staring match, both daring each other to do what they both wanted, but neither of them were brave enough to do.

Fuck it. If Hunk wasn’t going to do it, Keith would. He scooted closer, eyes fluttering shut, and leaned in for a kiss. His heart slammed against his chest, anticipation killing him. He couldn’t help but smile a little; he was going to do it.

“Paladins!” Allura’s voice sounded over the intercom, startling Keith and forcing him to move away. “Suit up immediately.”

“I should-- I should go. It’s not that I don’t want to, really, it’s--”

Keith had to interrupt Hunk’s ramble. “It’s fine, just go.”

_ It’s not that I don’t want to _ . Those words rang in Keith’s head as he changed into his paladin armour. Did Hunk want to kiss him? Surely, that was what that meant. He had that stupid small smile on his face again. Maybe in a better time, they could have picked up where they left off. Or maybe Hunk was just being polite. Keith had to shake off his thoughts; now was  _ definitely _ not the time.

Days passed, and it almost felt like the universe was making every effort possible to keep Keith away from Hunk. Keith had a strict routine, but he did try to break out of it in the hopes he could hang out with Hunk. But whenever he saw the yellow paladin, he was always with someone. Keith wondered if Hunk was doing it on purpose or not, and while he hoped he wasn’t, Keith couldn’t help but think it was likely the case.

Keith suited up for another mission, just him and Pidge. She assured him she wouldn’t be long, and instructed him to wait for her by Red when he was ready. Keith waited around, impatient; he couldn’t believe Pidge was wasting his time like this. He leaned on Red’s arm, tapping his elbow, when he heard footsteps. Too heavy to belong to Pidge, meaning it could have been Shiro, or it could have been someone else, and he had a feeling he knew who it was.

“Hunk?” Keith asked, taking a look. To his relief, it really was Hunk. “What are you doing here?”

Hunk fiddled with his hands, as if trying to physically untangle his thoughts. “I’m sorry about the other day. If it wasn’t for--”

“It’s fine.”

Keith didn’t want to sound snappy, but he didn’t want to talk about this. It felt like enough of a rejection without Hunk essentially rubbing it in. Hunk frowned, taking a step closer, but Keith ignored him. That is, until Hunk was right in front of him, taking his face in his hand. He looked like he was ready to burst, but Keith had never seen him so sure in his life.

“Good luck on your mission, Keith.”

Before Keith could respond, Hunk pulled him in for a kiss. Keith gasped softly, surprised by the sudden warmth, but his hand found the back of Hunk’s head, the other gripping his shirt and pulling him in closer. His lips were so soft, and Keith was melting. Fuck, this was everything he had wanted with Hunk.

When Hunk pulled away, Keith just pulled him back in, not willing to let go just yet. Hunk’s free hand sat on his hip, his other hand running through his hair. Every touch was like electricity to Keith, energising him, his body demanding more. But he couldn’t have more, not yet, not until after the mission. Shit, wait, that was right, Keith had a mission. He broke the kiss, instead kissing the end of Hunk’s nose.

“I guess I’ll see you after the mission,” Keith mumbled awkwardly.

Hunk’s face was still burning. “Yeah, I’ll see you around, buddy.”

Keith retreated into Red, leaving Hunk by himself, as he rode out his embarrassment in the pilot’s chair. Holy shit, he’d kissed Hunk. Holy shit, his crush was worse. Oh fuck, what did this make them now? Maybe Keith should've ran after him, ask him what this was, exactly. He buried his face in his hands, and he had never felt his face burn so much.

“Hey. Ready to go?” Pidge asked over comms.

“Yeah, ready when you are,” Keith replied.

He could ask later, then. As he started up Red, he realised he had just kissed Hunk. Hunk, who was sweet, and didn’t seem interested in Keith before, had willingly kissed him. There was nothing that could bring him down, now.


End file.
